Stories about sexual assault

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Udaari grabbed the audiences’ attention from the very first episode. It has managed to highlight aspects which have been ignored for far too long – and it has also challenged various stereotypes which plague our society.
The drama relates the story of individuals who have suffered at the hands of society. The awe-inspiring acting, along with the story-line, gave the audience a sneak peek into the struggle of these individuals, whilst breaking all kinds of barriers at the same time.
1. Rape victims should be ashamed of themselves
Whether it is sexual assault or harassment on the streets, victims are shushed by their families in order to protect ...

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Another day, another news report about a horrific rape that once again highlights the distance India has to travel to ensure true equality, freedom, and justice for its women.
In this latest incident, a 21-year-old was gang raped again by the same five men who had raped her three years ago. This incident is beyond outrageous and is a measure of the abject failure of the law and order machinery in ensuring that justice is served and all perpetrators of sexual crimes are punished appropriately.
Out of the five original rapists, two were apparently out on bail and three had never ...

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The 13-year-old Berlin based German-Russian girl’s allegations of being kidnapped and gang-raped by men of Arabic and African origin quickly snowballed into a storm. Her claim was the men had forced her into their vehicle and attacked her.
Reports of the girl’s harrowing tale were shared across Russian social media and even made it to local television. They were met with demonstrations by an anti-migrant national right-wing political party, as well as people from the Russian community in Germany who were backed by the Pegida-related Bärgida movement.
The matter soon turned into an international incident. While the German police rightly kept ...

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Author’s note: Islam has nothing to do with taharrush gamea; the act contradicts the teachings of the religion. At the same time, there is no denying where the incidents are taking place, and who the perpetrators are. Denying this out of some misplaced sense of political correctness has only exacerbated the issue.
Not surprisingly, the attacks are more sophisticated than a coordinated assault from a pack of hyenas.
These are predators after all.
The incidents usually take place in the cold black of the night at locations where women are more vulnerable; at the end of an alley, near a tunnel, in ...

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It was the night of a thousand angels, a night of sins forgiven and a night of deeds untold. It was the night of Lailatul Qadr when she opened her eyes for the first time.
“That’s what we’ll name her,” said her mother.
The father smiled and announced his newborn daughter’s name to his wife, the hospital staff and into the ear of the child to be named,
“Lailatul Qadr.”
As her parents devoted themselves to worship, for it was the night of a thousand prayers, Lailatul Qadr, or Laila as she would come to be known, spent the entire night in her ...

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Lady Gaga’s recent music video “Till it happens to you” explores the harrowing realm of sexual assault trauma, especially when it occurs on college campus. The most debilitating aspect of on-campus rape and sexual assault is that the victims are young and vulnerable.
At this stage of life, they are exploring new horizons and that includes new relationships too. Their friendly intimacy can be easily exploited and used as a weapon against them, assuming their consent in the assault.
The sexual assaults mostly occur by someone familiar or within your comfort zone. So it leads to a sense of betrayal and makes it hard for the ...

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If you’ve ever wondered what the face of barbarism looks like, then look no further than this man.
Photo: Daily Mail
His name is Fayhan al-Ghamdi, and according to reliable sources such as Gulf News and The Independent, he is a famous preacher in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, who regularly appears on local television.
Photo: Gulf News
To say the least, Ghamdi wasn’t happy with his daughter, Lama. He found her innocent smile as well as her other mannerisms to be flirtatious, and soon began to suspect that she wasn’t a virgin.
The only problem ...

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Very often we find a wolf in sheep’s clothing; it can be a doctor who gives you the wrong diagnosis or treatment to con you out of money or it can be a preacher who radicalises innocent youth seeking spiritual education. All of us are always at the mercy of someone whose occupation puts them in a position where we are likely to trust them.
Recently, a 50-year-old tutor in Lahore was arrested for sexually assaulting his pupils, and videotaping the crimes. He confessed to victimising over 20 children over the past six years while working at several academies in Lahore. He said he ...

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Whether it’s the destruction of holy shrines, burning of hostages, stoning the accused and sexually assaulting girls, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has managed to set new boundaries and records of violence. Adding to their records is the recent execution of 19 girls in Mosul who refused to have sex with the group’s fighters. This is an extension of the sheer brutality that is normally attributed to them.
Countless women have been abducted by the ISIS militants. The prettiest of the abducted virgins are then sent to the markets of Syria and Iraq where they are sold as sexual objects to the highest bidder, amongst the beasts salivating to get the best ...

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Today, I am going to address one of the least talked about issues in Pakistan – sexuality. Our religious-conservative society does not encourage dialogue in this sphere, due to the stigma of immorality attached to sex, leaving little room for awareness on related issues.
The topic of sex includes sex crimes, which also shares the same taboo status. This results in a very ugly scenario; uglier than what the common mind can anticipate. Snubbing such issues and covering up sex crimes leads to a misunderstanding of their nature which often causes victim blaming and an institutional lack of rehabilitation for ...